The nation-wide organization CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is promoting awareness of this condition that affects thousands of individuals and their families with AD/HD Awareness Week – September 14th-20th. The theme for the week of awareness is the importance of early diagnosis.
Related to that theme, CHADD has announced the release of a survey whose findings shed light on differences found in the life paths and issues of those diagnosed earlier with AD/HD (by high school) versus later (after high school).
Here is a sampling of some of the survey’s findings:
– Of those diagnosed at age 14 or earlier, 29 percent reported being held back a grade in school compared to only 10 percent of those diagnosed after the age of 30.
– Of those diagnosed at age 14 or earlier, 75 percent reported being satisfied or very satisfied with life in general, while 67 percent of those diagnosed after the age of 30 reported being satisfied or very satisfied with life in general.
– 74 percent of those diagnosed after the age of 30 indicated self-education as the most popular treatment.
In contrast, those diagnosed at age 14 or earlier indicated medication as the most popular treatment option (73 percent).
– 84 percent of individuals who do not have AD/HD themselves but have a family member who does, noted medication as the most effective treatment in controlling AD/HD for their family member. Behavior modification was the second most chosen treatment option with 52 percent of these respondents selecting it.
Most survey respondents believed that early diagnosis was the single most important factor when treating AD/HD.
For more information about the survey results and about AD/HD, go to:
http://www.chadd.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=12061
September 14, 2009
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